Living Architecture is a not-for-profit holiday home rental

Vacation rental

Vacation rental is the renting out of a furnished apartment or house on a temporary basis to tourists as an alternative to a hotel. The term vacation rental is mainly used in the US. In Europe the term villa rental or villa holiday is preferred for rentals of detached houses in warm climates...

 company in the UK.
It was founded by philosopher and writer Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton is a Swiss writer, television presenter, and entrepreneur, resident in the UK.His books and television programs discuss various contemporary subjects and themes in a philosophical style, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life. In August 2008, he was a founding member...

, who launched the scheme in 2010 as the first programme of its kind. Each holiday home has been uniquely designed by a world renowned architecture practice and is available to rent out by the general public throughout the year.

The houses include:

• The Balancing Barn, near Aldeburgh
  Aldeburgh
  Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
  
  , Suffolk: opened October 2010. Architect: MVRDV
  MVRDV
  MVRDV is a Rotterdam, Netherlands-based architecture and urban design practice founded in 1991. The name is an acronym for the founding members: Winy Maas , Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries...
  
  
• The Shingle House, Dungeness
  Dungeness
  Dungeness is a headland on the coast of Kent, England, formed largely of a shingle beach in the form of a cuspate foreland. It shelters a large area of low-lying land, Romney Marsh...
  
  , Kent: opened Nov 2010. Architect: Nord architecture
• The Dune House, Thorpeness
  Thorpeness
  Thorpeness is a village in the county of Suffolk, England. It is part of the parish of Aldringham cum Thorpe and is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.- Development of the community :...
  
  , Suffolk: opened Dec 2010. Architect: JVA
• The Long House, Cockthorpe, Norfolk: opening Oct 2011. Architect: Hopkins Architects
  Hopkins Architects
  Hopkins Architects Partnership LLP is a prominent British architectural firm established in 1976 by Sir Michael and Lady Patricia Hopkins. The practice has won many awards for its work and has twice been shortlisted for the Stirling Prize, including in 2011 for the 2012 London Velodrome and in...
  
  

In 2012 Living Architecture is collaborating with cultural organisation Artangel

Artangel

Artangel is a London-based arts organisation founded in 1985 by Roger Took. Directed since 1991 by James Lingwood and Michael Morris, it has commissioned and produced a string of notable site-specific works, plus several projects for TV, film, radio and the web...

, for a temporary room which will sit on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall

Queen Elizabeth Hall

The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...

 on London's South Bank

South Bank

South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...

. The commission is launching as part of the London 2012 Festival and is being deisgned by David Kohn Architects and artist Fiona Banner

Fiona Banner

Fiona Banner is an English artist, who was short-listed for the Turner Prize in 2002. In 2010, she produced new work for a Duveen Hall commission at Tate Britain. She is one of the Young British Artists.-Life and work:...

.

External links

• http://www.living-architecture.co.uk/
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/sep/26/living-architecture-alain-de-botton
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/architecture/8018674/Have-a-holiday-in-modern-architecture.html
• http://www.living-architecture.co.uk
• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1276193/Alain-Bottons-Living-Architecture-offers-glimpse-future-holiday-homes.html
• http://londonist.com/2011/02/boat-shaped-pavilion-to-be-built-on-queen-elizabeth-hall.php

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